Fuel-igniter.



W. A. DYER.

FUEL IGNITER.

APPLICATION I'ILBD MAR. 27, 1911.

1,001,934. Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

lllllll GTON WILLIAM A. DYER, OF ST, LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FUEL-IGNITER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

Application filed March 27, 1911. Serial No. 617,182.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. DYER, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Fuel-Igniters, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertainsto make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a plan view of a fuel igniter of my improved construction.Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4is a detail section through the rear portion of the body of the igniter.Fig. 5 is a detail section of a modified form of the forward end of theigniter.

My invention relates to a fuel igniter of the type wherein a metal tubeis connected at one end to a flexible tube, leading from a suitablesource of gas supply, and the opposite end of which metal tube isadapted to be inserted into the body of fuel located upon a grate orwithin a fire box, and thus when the gas is permitted to pass throughthe flexible tube and the metal tube, it will discharge from the forwardend of said metal tube, and being there ignited will furnish suflicientflame to quickly ignite the fuel upon the grate or within the fire box.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensivedevice, particularly adapted for household use, and which device isprovided with an adjustable valve for controlling thesupply of air andgas into and through the tubular body portion of the device, which valveregulates the amount of gas which is permitted to enter and passthroughthe body of the igniter corresponding to the pressure of the gasas it comes from the supply pipe.

The valve of my improved ,igniter can be readily adjusted toproportionately regulate the volume of air admitted to the tube mixedwith the gas therein, thus producing an inflammable mixture which burnswith a high degree of heat when ignited at the nozzle end of thedevice.A further object of my invention is to locate at a suitable point in thebody portion of the ignitera tubular member formed of a suitable metalor noncombustible material having low heat conducting qualities,

thereby preventing the heat developed at the forward end of the bodyportion of the de vice from being conducted to the rear end of of thedevice, and affecting the flexible connection which unites the devicewith the source of gas supply.

To the above purposes my invention consists in certain features ofnovelty hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates thebody portion of the igniter which is preferably in the form of a smalltube, and for ordinary household use for stoves, grates and furnacesthis tube is approximately fifteen to twenty inches in length and fromone-half to one inch in diameter. The forward end of this tube ispreferably flattened as designated by 2, in order that the combustiblegas discharging from said forward end will be spread out in fan-shape.If desired, the flattened forward end 3 of this tube may be closed asshown in Fig. 5 and provided with a number of jet openings.

In order to prevent the heat developed at the forward end of the devicefrom being conducted to the rear end thereof and affecting the flexibletube connected to said rear end I propose to make use of a tubularmember of non-combustible material, preferably metal havingproportionately low heat conducting qualities, as, for instance, Babbittmetal or the like, and as shown in Fig. 1, the main body of the deviceis divided into two parts, and the adjacent ends thereof are united by ashort tubular section 4 of Babbitt metal or analogous material.

In Fig. 1 a short tubular section 5 of Babbitt metal or analogousmaterial is seated in the rear end of the tube 1, and the flexible tube6, which leads to the source of gas supply is fitted directly to saidtubular member 5.

A portion of the tube 1, adjacent the rear end of the device is enlargedas designated by 7, and formed integral with the tube at the rear end ofthis enlarged portion is a wall or partition 8, through the center ofwhich is formed a vertically disposed slot 9, which forms a gas inletorifice into the chamber within the enlarged portion 7. The chamberwithin this enlarged portion 7, is open at its upper end and adapted toclose said open upper end is a plate 10, provided on top with aprojection preferably in the form of a ring 11, by the means of whichsaid plate is raised and lowered. A flange 12, is formed integral withand depends from the underside of the plate 10, which flange is adaptedto fit snugly in the open upper end of the chamber within the enlargedportion 7, and depending from the rear portion of the plate 10, is avertically disposed plate 13, which lies directly against the front faceof the wall or partition 8. Formed in the lower end of this plate 13,and at the center thereof is a notch 14:, which when said plate 13, iselevated is adapted to coincide with the gas orifice 9. Formed on thefront face of the plate 13 adjacent the lower end thereof is atransversely disposed rib 15, and passing through the chamber within theenlarged portion 7', adjacent the upper end thereof, and immediately infront of the plate 13, is a pin 16, the ends of which are seated in theside walls of said enlarged portion 7. This pin forms a stop againstwhich the transverse rib 15, engages, thereby limiting the upwardmovement of the valve member comprising the plates 10 and 13.

The parts of the valve member are constructed in such size so that whensaid valve member is lifted to bring the upper end of the notch 14, inalinement with the lower end of the orifice 9, the lower edge of'thedepending flange 12, will just clear the open upper end of the chamberwithin the enlarged portion 7, thereby admitting a comparatively smallamount of air in proportion to the small amount of gas dischargingthrough the small opening between the orifice 9 and notch 14. As thevalve member is elevated the gas and air inlet openings areproportionately increased in size, and it is not necessary to regulateany valves or cocks in the gas pipes or connections to which theflexible tube 6, is attached.

Vhen the device is in use the forward end of the tube 1, is inserted atthe desired point in the fire box or between the bars of a grate andafter the gas is turned on from the supply and the valve membercomprising the plates 10 and 13, is raised to open po sition, the gas atthe forward end of the device is ignited and the volume of the flame atthe point of combustion can be easily and quickly regulated by adjustingthe position of the valve member. As the forward end of the deviceoccupies a posi tion within the body of fuel located in the fire box oron the grate the flame of the burning gas will readily ignite said fuel,thus accomplishing the desired result.

It will be readily understood that when the valve member of the deviceis elevated to expose a portion of the gas orifice 9, the gasdischarging from said orifice into and through the tube 1, draws inthrough the open upper end of the chamber within the enlarged portion 7,sufiicient air to combine with the said gas and form a mixture whichupon combustion will produce a blue flame of great heat.

A device of my improved construction is comparatively simple, can becheaply manufactured, is particularly eflicient when used for a meansfor igniting anthracite coal, and the valve member is made in a singlepiece, and the gas and air inlets are arranged so that the valve memberwith one motion can be easily and quickly adjusted to proportionatelyregulate the sizes of said and air inlet openings.

The flexible tubes to which devices of this character are connected areformed of rubber, and by equipping the body of the igniter with atubular member of metal which is a non-conductor of heat, the heatdeveloped by the ignition of the gas at the forward end of the device isprevented from passing through the device and aflecting the flexibletube connected to thereof.

here my improved igniter is used for igniting fuel in stoves and smallheating furnaces the flexible tube 6 is preferably attached directly tothe burner tip of a gas fixture. For use in large boiler furnaces andthe like, the igniter can be made of tubing several feet in length, andof one or two inches in diameter.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the form, size andconstruction of my improved device, may be made and substituted forthose herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit ofmy invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a fuel igniter, a tubular member, the rear end of which is adaptedto receive a flexible tube leading from a suitable source of gas supply,the forward end of which tubular member is formed into a nozzle, whichtubular member is provided near its rear end with an air inlet opening,a wall formed within the tubular'member adjacent the air inlet opening,which wall is provided with a gas inlet opening, a valve memberadjustably' mounted in the tubular member, a portion of which valvemember is adapted to cover the gas inlet opening, and an extension onsaid valve member adapted to close the air inlet opening.

2. In a fuel igniter, an elongated tubular member, one end of which isadapted to be connected to a suitable source of gas supply, whichtubular member is-provid'ed with an air inlet opening, and a valvememberadj ustably mounted in the air inlet opening of the tub-ular member forsimultaneously and proportionately varying the flow of gas through thetubular member, and the inflow of air through the air inlet opening.

3. The herein described fuel igniter comthe rear end prising a tubularmember adapted to be connected to a suitable source of gas supply, Whichtubular member is provided with an air inlet opening, a wall within thetubular member adjacent the air inlet opening, which wall is providedwith a restricted gas discharge opening, and a single adjustable valvemember mounted in the tubular member for simultaneously andproportionately varying the flow of gas through the restricted opening,and the flow of air into the tubular member through the air inletopenmg.

4. In a fuel igniter, a tubular member,

the rear end of which is adapted to receive a flexible tube leading froma suitable source of gas supply, the forward end of which tubular memberis formed into a nozzle,

which tubular member is provided near its rear end with an air inletopening, a Wall formed within the tubular member adjacent the air inletopening, which wall is provided with a gas inlet opening, and aninverted L-shaped valve member arranged for movement through the airinlet opening one wing of which valve member is adapted to close the airinlet opening into the tubular member, and the other wing being adaptedto close the gas inlet opening.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aifiX my signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses, this 24th dayof March, 1911.

WILLIAM A. DYER.

Witnesses:

M. P. SMITH, A. J. HUTTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

